JVW and the University of Johannesburg (UJ Ladies) collected maximum points each in their opening matches of the 2025 Hollywoodbets Super League season with victories over two newcomers, Ezemvelo Ladies and the University of Cape Town (UCT) on Sunday (2 March).
The fixtures were played on Sunday (2 March) at the UJ Soccer Stadium in Soweto.
And after a two-and-a-half-month recess due to the off-season, women’s football is back in full swing.
Under the tutelage of new coach Janine van Wyk, the Blue Diamonds, playing in a match that marked the start of the new campaign, were the first to draw blood. Gabriela Salgado’s ninth minute strike was the first goal of the 2025 season.
But 16-year-old Siphesihle Mvila grabbed the equalizer, and the headlines – six minutes before the break.
She will go down in history as the first player to ever score for the KwaZulu Natal outfit in the Hollywoodbets Super League following their promotion from the Sasol League in 2024. The enterprising youngster was only registered on match-day from Mamelodi 11 Ladies FC in the regional league – bypassing the Sasol League to campaign in the South African elite women’s football league.
Defender Boitumelo Rasehlo increased JVW’s lead on the stroke of half time, with Nompumelelo Nyandeni stretching it to 3-1 in the 53rd minute.
Amanda Mkhize pulled one back for Ezemvelo six minutes later, as the newbies pushed hard to restore parity, but the hosts fought with almost everything they had to keep them at bay and register Van Wyk’s first win in her first match as the head coach as it ended
3-2 to JVW.
In the first Varsity Derby of the new campaign between UJ Ladies and UCT, Adrielle Mibe’s long range scorcher in the 35th minute was the difference as hosts emerged victorious 1-0.
The goal must have come as a reprieve after they had earlier missed a penalty through the trusted Thato Mofolo, whose shot was saved by Robin Coetzee in the UCT goals.
Action continues next weekend UCT host the University of the Western Cape in a dual derby – Cape Derby and Varsity Derby.
Ezemvelo will welcome UJ Ladies, while JVW travels to reigning Hollywoodbets Super League champions Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies.
In other matches, Richmond United takes on Copperbelt Ladies, Durban Ladies go toe to toe with the University of Pretoria, TS Galaxy Queens are up against the revamped University of Fort Hare, TUT Matsatsantsa Ladies tackle First Touch Ladies, while Royal AM faces City Lads Ladies.
By Matlhomola Morake
